The following is another fantastic question about interviewing from a follower on Quora. See my response below: 

A savvy candidate would definitely prepare for the interview. However, It can go very wrong if the candidate over-rehearses. For this reason, I recommend to my clients to use bullet-points and not remember a script.

A candidate who is over-reliant on a script can jeopardize the interview by doing the following:

• Focusing more on the script than on the non-verbal cues of the interviewer and engaging the interviewer.
• Failing to completely answer the question or miss the intent of the question because it wasn’t in the “script.”
• Losing composure if the candidate forgets one small word or minor aspect of the script and then obsessing on the miss thinking they’ve failed the question when the interviewer had no idea of what they “intended” to say in the first place. In effect, causing internal drama where none actually exists.

Many candidates are not aware that they actually control the “feel” of the interview in how they carry themselves, non-verbal and verbal cues and engaging the interviewer through “connection.” I recommend that candidates prepare but remain aware. Lead the interview into more of a discussion, than an “interview.”

Need help with interviews? We have paid and free resources available.  Learn the Unspoken Rules During the interview and more! 

About your career coach: 
Nanette Kirk is the President and CEO of NetKi Enterprises, LLC. We help clients navigate their career journey, through career coaching and consulting. Thank you for reading this blog post. Feel free to reach out if you have any leadership or career challenges, I can help you explore and resolve. You can click on the button below to schedule a discovery call. ​

 My Response: 

Great question! I can appreciate why there may be some reasonable skepticism. The challenge to your question is the assumption that quantifiable achievements cannot be independently verified.

We should first examine why career coaches advocate that achievements are quantified. I’ll start with the resume or CV since you also referenced CV writers. The primary goal of the resume is to attract hiring managers, be selected for an interview, provide compelling discussion material during the interview, and ultimately help the candidate get the job. The resume/CV is one of the primary tools to accomplish these goals.

How can a candidate best stand out from others? The answer is by giving the reader(s) what they want while demonstrating the ability to solve their core problem. How can that best be achieved? By offering quantifiable examples of relevant accomplishments.

For example, if you were the hiring manager, which of the following candidates for lead cashier would you award the interview based on their resume statement? Which skill would you value most for your company?

Candidate 1: Efficiently followed the register closing process at the end of each shift.
Candidate 2: Streamlined the register closing process 50% by implementing a closing checklist resulting in incremental annual cost savings of $14,000.

I think you will agree that candidate 2 brings more value as a lead cashier with the assumption that the candidate will be able to provide more information on how the closing process netted the result. (Details on how to write a fantastic accomplishment statement using the above example are on my website or YouTube channel - You can direct message me for the link - I don’t want to get into trouble with Quora again).

The point is a good interviewer will be able to sift through whether or not a candidate is telling the truth by asking the right questions. Hiring managers aren’t as interested in the specific numbers per se’ as much as the skills utilized to net the result. A good candidate will be able to demonstrate their expertise and talk through how the numbers were calculated if asked.

For the hiring manager quantifiable achievements demonstrates expertise and illustrates a pattern of behavior that may be replicated.

Long story short, quantifiable achievements is a strong differentiator and can be verified in numerous ways; in the interview or contacting references. It depends on the hiring manager to determine if verifying “numbers” are more important than the “process” used to achieve them. Which is replicable?

I hope this adequately answers your question.

If you have a career question that you would like for me to answer you can either go to my Quora spaces page, schedule a discovery call below, or send me an email at [email protected].

Some of the greatest challenges an assistant manager regularly face includes:

• Leading teams that were once peers; managing those relationships. 
• Managing multiple priorities that include admin responsibilities and team engagement. 
• Understanding the financial impacts of decisions made and budget management. 
• Managing the up-level relationship with your reporting Manager. 
• Losing potential income as a salaried versus an hourly employee. 
• Being confident in a leadership role. 

How these challenges can be overcome: 

1. Recognizing that the relationships with your peers will have to change, have a conversation that details your expectations but welcomes collaborative feedback and problem resolution. Above all, ALWAYS do what you say you will do and within a reasonable timeline. Follow-up if you can’t and check-in regularly. Avoid the tendency to unrealistically over-commit. Understand your role first. 
2. Engaging in your teams, getting to know them and providing a safe work environment. Also recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and leveraging those skills to improve team performance. ALWAYS be respectful of their time and appreciative of their efforts. Hold them respectfully accountable when applicable. ALWAYS partner with your Manager and/or your HR partner during those times of conflict management. 
3. Partner with your Manager to understand your role, expectations, financials, and priorities. Also, take advantage of sharing what you need to succeed as well. 
4. Have a frank conversation with your manager about your salary. Find out if you can get a salary increase and/or what is needed to achieve the highest increase. Take note and record all of your accomplishments throughout the year for your performance appraisal so that you can leverage it to get a salary increase at review time. 
5. Understand that confidence comes with time and experience. Be self-aware of your abilities and always seek to develop yourself through continuous learning, expanding your internal networks and leading projects.

There are likely many more challenges, but these are usually the top. 
I hope this helps! Wishing you well!

No. Recruiters and hiring managers do not want to read three pages of information. 

It's understandable to want to share everything you've done in your career - to acknowledge all of your hard work. You can still share your greatest career achievements in two pages or less. 

Make your resume as concise and impactful as possible. The key is to remember that your resume should be written for the reader, not yourself. Give the reader what they want - share what's in it for them if they hire you. 

Helpful tips: 

• Use job descriptions to find the key words/terms that employees are looking for. 
• Create accomplishment statements that answers What? How? and Result? Use metrics as much as possible. Metrics lend to heightened credibility.
• Remove any dated specifics as technology has transformed many industries making some past accomplishments irrelevant in today's climate. Focus instead on transferable skills.  

On our NetKi Enterprises YouTube page, there is a video titled "How to Write a Fantastic Accomplishment Statement! that provides more insight on how to write accomplishment statements. We also have a career resource that will also make the process easier. You can find it below. 

I hope this helps! 

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